The yearly discourse of winter NHS strains has reached the public ear. What's more, people can distinguish between the NHS generally, which they know to offer the highest quality and the NHS in winter, where there is more concern.

Rather than worry about why education is "languishing" as a lesser order issue, perhaps we should see it as a sign of relative success. When we at Ipsos MORI analyse public opinion, we frequently conclude that Britain is better than it perhaps thinks it is. And, judging by what the experts are saying about teaching and what the students are telling us about their hopes and motivations, education may well fall into that category.

Where does Ed Miliband sit, then, in comparison with other recent leaders of the opposition? On some measures, the leader with the most similar figures is Michael Howard. Ed Miliband scores better than William Hague and Iain Duncan Smith, but this is hardly comforting news.

The truth is that after two years of campaigning the SNP haven't managed to move the ball forward in any game changing way at all. Having failed to become the 'momentum campaign' the SNP went in search of elusive big moments. But to those who have been following events closely the SNP's campaign has been a series of false starts and stumbled half answers.

Britons appear by nature to be pessimistic with regard to the economy. We have now had 11 consecutive months of positive EOI scores - the second longest on record, behind a 15 month period around and following the 1987 general election. If we are to see this optimism to continue into the 2015 general election, it will beat the record by a full eight months.

Politicians from all parties have traditionally struggled to make their rhetoric on immigration chime with the British public's views. New findings from Ipsos MORI showing a divergence of public opinion on the subject, may explain why.

Today NPC publishes research with Ipsos MORI looking at the public's attitude to charities. There is a wealth of interesting material uncovered by the polling and set out in our report. But in thinking about the research a number of things have occurred to me that are particularly worth sharing.

In principle, the public recognise that PMQs is an important part of the democratic process because of the opportunity to hold the government to account. But PMQs in practice alienates, angers and frustrates...

At last! The economic recovery is finally under way. Its dynamics - rising borrowing, a housing "bubble", uncertain prospects for the eurozone - may trouble some readers. But, as the news over the last month or two has underlined, we are at least now living with an economy which is growing rather than shrinking.

Ryanair, one of the most successful brands in the last 25 years, has always taken an uncompromising approach when dealing with its customers - follow the rules to the letter and get a cheap fare - any deviation and costs will escalate. No excuses, no quarter given...

This week's royal christening seems an appropriate moment to take stock and look at how public opinion towards the royal family is evolving. Overall, the message remains positive, particularly when compared to the bumpy ride that was the 1990s...

This week I was a panellist at the launch event for the inaugural Ipsos MORI Top Cities survey - a worldwide poll that crowned London as the most popular city in Europe, but forced us to tip our bowler hats to New York as the global winner. But in amongst the data were a few fascinating phenomena...

A wider debate has now emerged about the role of women in society. 'Fourth wave feminism' questions whether men and women both have a subconscious misogyny, perhaps a blind spot about women's role in public life. Do we all assume women will shut up and sit back, rather than fighting for a space within public discourse?

David Cameron will note that Britain is one of the countries most in favour of gay marriage, with 66% in support. It's worth noting that most people in this country (58%) now have a work colleague, friend or relation who is lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT), a pattern which is by no means the case in all countries covered in the survey.

Of course politicians are unlikely to vote for change that's not in their interests. If we want participatory democracy, we'll have to change the system ourselves. So, 650 members of the Ordinary People Movement will aim to represent the 42% of voters who want to participate by standing for election on a platform of constitutional change.